Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

May you all experience the wonderment of Christmas through the eyes of a child.

Much love to you and wishes for a Happy New Year too.

Picking up where we left off

Barbara showed us the progress she has made on her granddaughter's Christmas stocking today. She was hoping to have it finished by now but it's been a challenge. It has to be knitted flat so she can knit the snowman Intarsia style. He looks really cute and Barb promises to take pictures of it when it's finished so I can post. She is looking forward to her granddaughter's first Christmas.

Kathleen had enough yarn left from last week's vest to make a hat and mittens, sans thumbs. They'll be added soon. Today she started another V neck vest which I'm sure will be finished the next time we meet.

And here it is. The yarn is a wool, acrylic and viscose blend in a deep forest green with tweed flecks. It knits up beautifully and will make a nice finished vest.

Maureen's Wingspan is a little farther along since last week.

And Dorah found some unfinished objects, otherwise known as UFO's. She couldn't find the pattern for these fingerless mitts but I'm sure she'll figure it out.

And look at this lovely Irish Hiking Scarf she is picking back up again. The yarn is so soft!

Beth had a bit of an issue with her yarn. It's going to be another cloche made with those telephone pole sized double pointed needles of hers.

Here is what it will look like when it's finished. I showed you this one last time but it didn't have it's button yet, a perfect finishing touch.

Carole worked on mitts tonight. It's hard to tell the color here but it's a lovely rich blend of purples almost burgundy. Really pretty!

And finally I started another man's scarf using Jojoland Rhythm yarn. It's a variegated color that will go well with jeans since the colors range from denim to gray and navy.

We will be taking the next two weeks off to be with our families for the holidays. We all wish you a blessed Christmas and happy and healthy new year!

Prayers

Just when I think I have run out of tears I find there are plenty more that pour down my cheeks in such utter sadness for those families in Sandy Hook, Ct. I used to live one town away from that sleepy little New England village. The main street is wide with a grassy island running down the middle, a tall white flagpole with, what I am sure is hanging at half staff, a proud American flag, and the iconic white steepled church on the corner. It will never be the same. My prayers haven’t stopped yet for those babies taken from their families at so young an age, the same age as my grandson, and for their teachers who tried to protect them. Prayers go out for those loved ones left behind who now wonder why. Please God, send them comfort in knowing their babies are safe with you now.

Warm and soft

 Kathleen finished a V-neck sweater vest this week. She used a Red Heart yarn called "Soft" and it really is for an acrylic. That will make it machine washable and dryable so it will be easy wear.

Her wool mittens will make warm hands for someone.

Barbara is catching up on some Christmas knitting by making a scarf for a loved one in his favorite team colors. She has two more skeins of that yarn so there might be a hat also.

Carole made a double knit hat. This technique is made by using two colors of yarn at the same time so one side is purple with green boxes and the reversible side is...

green with purple boxes! Wow! That looks great! It takes a lot of concentration to make sure you are using the right color yarn at the right time. 

Maureen has made great progress on the Wingspan she is knitting. And again she wore something that goes well with it.

I made a hat to go with the cowl I made last week.

The hat and this cowl, called Circulo were made with Aslan Trends Invernal yarn. This yarn feels like a cloud. It is a blend of rabbit angora, merino wool and nylon. It is heavenly!

I used another heavenly yarn for this Williams Neck Warmer. It is a silk and merino blend from Malabrigo called Silky Merino, duh!

Back to my needles then. I'm working on a baby alpaca hat which is very close to being finished. 

Look for it and more next week. Happy Knitting!

Telephone Poles for Knitting Needles!

This afternoon Kathleen brought another pair of mittens for the inventory. We talked about how we can use the exact same pattern and same size needles and no two pair come out the same size. I think with me, it has to do with my mood when I'm knitting. If I am stressed I must knit tightly. One time I made a pair of baby socks and had to knit a third one to get the same size and believe it or not, none of them matched in size! And I knitted them all in the same day! I guess I relaxed with each one I knitted. 

 Barbara started a pair of fingerless mitts. By 3PM the first one was almost finished.

 I finished the Wingspan shawl/scarf. I used Jojoland Melody superwashed yarn. I love how the colors blend into each other.

 Over the weekend I found a cowl pattern I liked and had some baby alpaca yarn that was just enough yardage to make this Elis neck warmer. It uses the Indian Cross Stitch. I enjoyed learning this new-to-me stitch which looks terrible until it's blocked. 

 The long threads are created by wrapping each stitch three times and then on the next row the stitch is pulled to the entire length, making the open work. This is a six stitch pattern so you cross three stitches over three in one direction and then after two rows of stockinette you do it again in the opposite direction. I know it sounds like gibberish but it's really easy to do.

 I started this cowl tonight but once I completed the ribbing I found out it's a pattern that requires my full attention so I couldn't talk with my Chicks. On to something else for the evening.

 Maureen's Wingspan is coming along nicely. The colors look great and matched her sweater.

Carole worked on another hat. 

 Beth finished her scarf with the keyhole end.

 And Dorah is plugging away on her never-ending scarf. She vowed to make something small next time.

 We all joked with Beth about the "telephone-pole-sized" double pointed needles she was using to make a cute cloche style hat. Well, by the end of the evening she laughed last because....

 she had a completed hat! Not bad for telephone poles! 

I'm sure she'll have another by next week. 

For now I am going to work on that cowl which needs all the stitches counted.